The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-18
KENOSHA COUNTY SHEEP BREED.
ERS AND WOOL GROWERS
ASSOCIATION.
FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING.
AFTERNOON SESSION.


In regard to the Presidents address
Mr.. R. F. Roberts said he felt disposed
to take issue with the Pres ident on his
statement that every operation in sheep
husbandry was calculated to incite feel.
ings of kindness and gentleness. He
said the operation of washing sheep was
barbarous practice, calculated to in.
cite feelings of cruelty. It frightened
and shocked the sheep and injured it.
He did not believe, however, that it was
a necessary operation of correct sheep
husbandry, and ought to be abandoned.
Mr.. W. V. Gull said that we are taught
cleanliness is next to goodness, and
therefore it ought to be good thing to
wash sheep. AS long as it paid to wash
81 ep it would be done, even if it is
cruel.
R. T. Roberts said, in view of the
question of cleanliness, buyers found a
good deal of fault because farmers done
up dirt and tags with the feeces.
In discussing the question: Which is
the best hay for sheep-clover, timothy
or fine wild hay? there was a general
expression that variety fed every day
was very much better for sheep than any
one kind fed exclusively.
This discussion called out practices
and ideas in regard to the best time to
cut grass, methods ofcuring, feeding, etc.
President Stocker said he always gave
his sheep feed of wild hay at noon, and
practiced giving them more than they
could eat, and threw out for bedding
what remained in the racks. The sheep
enjoyed and needed a good bed.
Mr.. J. D. Fowler said he practiced
more and more the early cutting of hay,
because sheep ate it better and thrived
better on it. The more it could be
cured in the shade, the better the quail
ty of the hay.
Mr.. J. M. Brown said early cut grass
was fuller of the juices, and therefore
harder to cure. but by using tedder it
could be quickly cured.
Mr.. A. S. Barber said grass was at its
best just as the seed was forming, and if
cut then and properly cured it contained
the largest amount of nutritious ele-
ments.
Mr.. J. M. Brown said he had expert
mented by cutting his mammoth clover
earlier, and last year cut it before ii
blossomed fully-while there was hardly
a full blossom on it-and found the
quality of hay better than ever before,
and no waste whatever by sheep leaving
the stems.
Mr.. L. M. Thayer said that last year
he commenced cutting hay as soon as it
blossomed, but before he could finish
the hay was ripe. Instead of feeding
from the top of the bay he cut pieces
down with hay knife, and invariably,
as soon as they reached the green and
fragrant early cut hay, the sheep would
eat with far greater relish. He has a
flock of 100 ewes, and gives them fol
breakfast ration of drill-planted corn
estimated to have an equivalent of three
pecks of shelled corn. unhusked Al
noon they are fed partly threshed oat
straw, estimated to have on it an equiya,
lent of three pecks of clean oats. The
cats are threshed daily with the fail
beating what will come off easily, and
| the fresh, bright straw is fed every moor
as threshed. When he commenced
with his flock they averaged four and a
half pounds washed wool per head, anC
they now average six pounds, and he in
tends to improve them up to seven OF
eight.
The next question on the programme
for discussion was: Should sheep II
pasture be provided with shelter?
To open the discussion, Mr.. r. f
Roberts read an article from print, advo
eating the providing of sheds in pasture:
to protect sheep from hail and rail
storms, and from the severe heat of the
sun and from flies. Experience show
that where pasture happens to have
an old building in it sheep always use
for protection.
| Mr.. A. S. Barber said it would no
answer to allow sheep to use a barn o
other close building for shelter. L
summer they would huddle in it two
thirds of the day, and the manure woul'
accumulate, and heat would produc
foot rot in the sheep.
/ Mr.. ]. D. Fowler said he did not Sc
how that difficulty could exist in usin
an open shed, especially if the dropping
were removed occasionally, as the nee